I've Been Missing — Big Problems With Blog

I've just returned from a marvelous trip to Oaxaca, Mexico where I attended the 10th Annual Shibori Symposium organized by Yoshiko Wada and her very hard-working crew. It was a sublime conference which included numerous tours  to outlying places of interest. These included ruins and small villages that often tend to specialize in one or two crafts. There were one day trips as well as  multi-day trips. There were one day workshops and longer workshops. 

I took a three day workshop with Michel Garcia. This was a grand experience. Since Michel has been criss-crossing the globe and sharing his vast knowledge of natural dyeing and mordanting. The practices used by local dyers and weavers have become infinitely more ecologically and environmentally advanced. He has helped local dyers everywhere to concentrate on using the materials that are available nearest where they live so that supplies of plants, minerals and other materials are not  over exploited. He has shared his research leading to extraordinary new practices in the use of mordents to the point that weavers in Teotitlan del Valle have transformed the efficiency of their practices. 

We watched Jacabo Mendoza give a thrilling natural dyeing demonstration for almost two hours. His  use of local plants, leaves, and other materials produced unbelievable color changes  in seconds. Several days later I made a last trip to the lovely pueblo of Teotitlan del Valle at which time six of us visited Jacabo's studio and revisited many of the practices he used several days before in his   demonstration. His wife, Maria Louisa participated as she had earlier also along with their two children. 

After a charming lunch  visit to a local restaurant, we moved  up the hill to the marvelous  silk growing and producing compound. They also demonstrated everything from the silk worms and their development to the hand spinning and reeling of the silk thread they use to make an impressive number of woven and knitted wearable articles.  

We visited the so-called largest (in width) tree in the world at Thule, another small village, on our way back to the city of Oaxaca. This was just one of the marvelous days spent in the cultural Mecca of Oaxaca. Other days featured lectures and panel discussions that ranged from descriptions of Shibori techniques to personal histories of  previous and currently practicing artists. Of course, lovely lunches, visits to museums and oh, yes, shopping filled much of the fast evaporating time available. 

Nights featured visits to all our favorite restaurants as well as musical events. One evening I attended a gorgeous concert by the Oaxaca Symphony in the beautiful operal house for which I have shown photos in earlier posts. This particular musical night was nothing short of blissful. An encore for a brilliant performance of a Beethoven symphony was the repetition of a complete movement by the conductor and his players. What a gift! The other thing that enhances my memories of such experiences is the fact that Oaxaca parents bring their children, young and old to such events. What    a joy it is to see children becoming absorbed in melody and rhythm and often moving their bodies in ways that show their total involvement. Little ones are usually asleep by the end of the performances and they are gently awakened and carried out or urged to movement which always seems to happen pretty smoothly. I adore seeing children sharing their parents' love of music and performance at such an early age.

Time Flying

At the concert venue

Kathy and I have only two days of class left. How time whizzes  bye.   So many events I haven't had time to report. We've both had a lot of homework almost every night. That definitely cuts the blog posting down. 

Last Thursday evening we attended a lovely concert at the Biblioteca Andres Henestrosa. This is a charming old building outfitted with a retractable roof which was left open for this  violin and piano chamber concert. The violinist, Socrates Juarez and the pianist, Ursula Topete both needed a few minutes to warm up with the ceiling wide open. After only moments the music was fantastic. They played pieces by Bach, Beethoven, DE P. Sarasote and Ravel. Two young artists, well  prepared, vigorous and accomplished. I felt badly for them when a huge airplane flew just over us on the way to the airport. But it didn't seem to phase them, pros that they are.

Jackie eating well at Marco Polo

We've had several really tasty fish dinners at Marco Polo Restaurant just across the street from Llano Park which is only up the street from us. Kathy has had fish tacos there but has now switched to one of our favorites, the filet meneure.(sp) Flavor jumps out at you from the surface of the outside oven baked fish with each bite. All of the seating for this restaurant is in a delightful open air garden filled with plants and trees. You could happily sit there all day. So it's not unusual to prolong the meal with a cup of coffee or a flan or both. Kath and I decided to try a cold coffee advertised on a standing intro card placed on our table. They took a long time to arrive and when they did, they sported a white lid tightly placed on each one. We opened them and tried to spoon out a little of the whipped cream at the top. The spoons felt like they were hitting rocks. Both drinks were frozen solid. We waited and waited and....... still frozen. We finally decided to take them home (via a stop at the bank). We made it.

Today after class we joined Carol and Mike for a trip to Etla and San Augustine. We started with the Etla market which is built on a hillside. Charming and bustling with energy. We ate lunch at one of the many eateries and then walked through and bought gift aprons for several people. Back to the van and north a bit to a glass blowing studio/factory. We only bought small, beautifuly colored glasses because we really don't have any more space or weight allotment  in our baggage. They had beautiful pitchers that we couldn't possible fit anywhere..... so no purchase. Back to the van and up the mountain to San Augustine where "Casa," the beautiful old textile factory, remodeled to be an art center with gorgeous reflective pools and huge exhibition spaces.  A fascinating photography exhibit in the adjoining church space, but no exhibits in the main galleries at the moment. Francisco Toleda is responsible for this amazing art center remodel. It is free to the public and a gift to the community like many other similar project he is the driving force behind.

We're back in our room working on the next to last possible "Tarea" (homework) and a late night walk around the corner for a mini mini meal or drink. Oh yes, life is tough in Oaxaca.

Nothing Like a Weekend in Teotitlan del Valle

The sweetest dog I've ever met

A laugh a minute

This dog loves yarn

This last weekend was almost indescribable. Five of us arrived by bus from Oaxaca (City) to the junction of the highway and the road leading up and through The hillside town of Teotitlan del Valle. We were picked up at that crossing by our friend Jacabo Vasquez. We drove directly through the uphill way to Jacabo's home where we were greeted by his wife Mireya and their three children. We were there to celebrate our friendship with this lovely family as well as the birthdays of two members of the group including Mireya. It also just happened to be Valentines Day. All in all, many excuses to have a roaring good time.

Any color will do

This gorgeous twelve year old studies and speaks English like a pro

Teotitlan del Valle is a town where just about every single person is a weaver. They are known for their tapestries, rugs and other loom woven fabrics. The degree of quality in the weaving is not to be believed. Many in this pueblo use Zapotec symbols and keep the art and traditions of that group of people alive and well. More than ever before the weavers are also doing natural dyeing with local and otherwise procured plant material. Each year the skills seem improved and their demonstrations of natural dyeing are absolutely captivating. Our hosts at the Vasquez compound use all natural dyes. Their products are sold in the town as well as in the city of Oaxaca and many of the nearby pueblos especially at their weekly markets.

Jacobo and the cake

Our happy visit to the market

This was Kathy's first journey to  this wonderful pueblo and she took to it like a fish to water. We drank and ate and visited all the rest of the afternoon in the company of our Zapotec hosts to the point of almost bursting. Traditional soup was served when we entered the dining room and it was followed by a chicken mole that was to die for. Tortillas with any number of meats and sauces soon followed and a super moist and delicious birthday cake with Carol's name on it topped it all off with toasts every few minutes that put everyone in a mighty fine mood.

Mireya at the loom

Our little group is following the educational progress of the family's older son who is in his second year at University in Oaxaca. All three of their children are a delight to be with as is their totally captivating dog. I'm posting a number of scenes from Saturday and Sunday's activities with this loving family.

Mireya stirring delicious chocolate with the geletin dish in view

After an overnight at a nearby Air B&B, where we had a welcoming cup of coffee before being picked up by Mireya and taken to the Teotitlan Market. This indoor/outdoor market is a warm and wonderful place to be on a Sunday morning. Flowers abound, meats of all kinds are being displayed and carved, vegetables and fruits are everywhere and baked goods make the whole place a paradise of  heavenly aromas. Of course  there are textiles of all kinds, baskets, carved wooden objects and a host of other handmade items there, ready for purchase.

Mireya winding bobbins

Trying on a traditional Zapotec Apron

Our happy group

After that warm and friendly experience at the market, we convened at the Vasquez home where we were seated again in the dining room and treated to the most delicious chocolate along with breads just bought at the market and followed by portions of the mole with chicken and rice from the previous day. Then came a gelatin dish I'd like to attempt to copy. It contained  nuts, vanilla gelatin, grated carrots and various seasonings. I might try making it with almond milk. Yummy.

Carol and Mireya in celebratory hats

Our visit culminated with an invitation into the family's show room where all their gorgeous rugs, tapestries, bags, pillow covers and such are arranged in neat stacks. We tore into them and had a hard time resisting each and every item. Needless to say I did a bit of buying as did Kathy and the rest of the group. We walked away a bunch of very happy campers. Jacobo and Mireya drove us back to Oaxaca and we didn't need to eat a thing until the next day. Truly a weekend to remember.

The beautiful youngest and oldest members of the family

Visit With Friends From Home

Long protest peacefully blocking Calle Benito Juarez 

Kathy and I crossed the street right through this long line of marchers

This is Friday and it's market day in Llano Park. Coemella and John Wilson from Fort Bragg joined us for lunch after our classes and then we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the huge Friday market just down the street from our hotel. We bought blouses and earrings and scarves plus some flowers to give our lovely hotel owner for her birthday.

My jump into the world of the subjunctive is a bit like a roller coaster. I'm finally learning just how different English and Spanish are from each other. I receive marvelously well thought out rules and regs and overviews of this mysterious mood and suddenly feel as if I'm "getting it" and then I retire to my room to do my tarea (homework) and quickly come to the conclusion that I don't have a clue. Today I finally got up the courage to ask my teacher if she thought I was really ready for this. —Such a patient lady. She answered yes immediately and cautioned me not to worry. Poco, poco says she with a warm and encouraging twinkle in her eye. So then I remove my latest exercise papers from my day pack, totally convinced that I've done it all wrong. Only to find out that it is all right. I really couldn't quite believe it, because, in my room the night before I felt like I was only guessing the answers at best. But each day I am in wonder over the nuances and subtleties of this language mood I'm trying to get a handle on.  One minute, proud and excited, the next, horrified that I'm not doing anything right. It's like being in kindergarten again. I'll let you know if there are any breakthroughs worthy of revealing.

The days here are passing quickly and there is so much to show Kathy. We haven't been to Mitla or Monte Alban yet. But tomorrow we will leave on the avocado colored bus that will take us, (Carol, Francine, Mike, Kathy and me) to the middle of Teotitlan del Valle, right next to the church. All other busses leave one at the foot of the hill below the town. Then you must catch the little "took tooks" that only carry one or two people at a time. We're going to stay overnight, which will be such fun. We'll try to take a good number of photos while there. Now that we've completed a whole week of classes I am beginning to think of all the great villages as well as spots right in the city that we have yet to see. Kath is much better than I about whipping out her phone for a good picture. So many of them that you see in my blog this year will be thanks to her.

Toasting at Las Mariposas with our friends from Teotitlan del Valle

I'm including some of the recent local protest scenes today. Protests are not unusual in this city and its surroundings, so they'll be included here and there. I know there have been some shocking events reported in the news regarding other areas of this state, but I don't know enough about them to comment. Where we are life goes on as before and it's a wonderful place to be.

Something Wonderful every Day

Kathy's and my classes are going swimmingly but I need to back up just a tad because I haven't shown you any pictures of the lovely theater where the Oaxaca Symphony took place last Friday. The theater is so charming and  spacious and yet incredibly intimate. I've never gone there without meeting someone I know. It's almost like going to Harvest Market. 

Oaxaca Symphony

One of the striking things about an evening in this theater, besides the excellence of the programs is the presence of so many children, both young and old, in the audience. Little ones eventually fall asleep in a parent's arms and some as young as eight or nine seem to stay awake and fully involved in the experience. It warms my heart to see these families sharing wonderful cultural events with each other. They all look so comfortable about it, as if is a perfectly normal part of life.

Moving away from night life, I have to share the source of endorphins for me today. When I first met Pati, my maestra for this year's classes, I made it very clear that I wanted to work on the use of and placement of objective  pronouns, both direct and indirect. And — that after we got that moving along, I wanted to take the plunge and learn about the Subjunctive mood. Well, today was the day when Pati decided it was time to begin. She gave me the   most nuanced introduction to the subject and went into such depth using such meaningful words and examples that I finished today's session totally convinced that it is worth it to find out what this lovely romance language is really about. I have been told and have read that many latin speakers use the subjunctive more than any other mode. I also find that practically no-one in the student population wants to have anything to do with it.  This makes me sad because I'd like to "talk it over" and share thoughts about it with others at my same stage of learning Spanish. It's going to require a lot of careful listening as well as memorizing a whole new set of conjugations. But I'm so hyped about it that it doesn't really worry me. So, wish me luck with this new venture. I'll keep you posted.

First Spanish Classes This Morning

Kathy and I began our classes today. We are both pleased with the instructors we have been assigned to. Kath has four  people in her class and they seem very nice. They all know a little Spanish and that actually is good for her because she learns from their responses. I think she is going to be a dynamite Spanish student judging from the  work she's been doing the last few days on Dueling and the questions she asks me.

I have a teacher who is new to me and I think she's going to be wonderful. I told her I wanted to work on direct and indirect pronouns. And then, I'd like to spend most of these three weeks working on the Subjunctive mood. Well, she didn't skip a beat. She had pronoun rules, diagrams and sentences up on the white board before I knew it. I'm quite thrilled to be attacking the two things that I know the least about but would like to learn.

Walkway between San Pablo Foundation 

and

San Pablo Restaurant

Western Wall of San Pablo Foundation

View Below The Restaurant

Kathy and I are both reading T.C. Boyle's "The Harder They Come" on our Kindles. It is only today that I have discovered that the main character is based on a man with deadly serious mental problems who shot two people in my own community. I was actually urged to not leave my house while he was traveling on foot around my neighborhood before he was apprehended. Being in Oaxaca gives me a special sense of remoteness from this subject and yet it is all so easy to relate to because it takes place so close to home. I still have almost fifty percent of the book to read and I don't know how much this new revelation is going to affect the rest of my reading of this chilling story.

I've been having digital problems beyond reason. While attempting to put my blog in place more easily on my desktop I know I responded to questions and requests by Google regarding areas of these machines (computers) I don't really understand. At one point they would not accept my password and I had to make a slight change in it in order to go on. At times when it appeared that they would not let me continue with my project unless I answered them with the checking of a box here and there, I proceeded to make a guess about the right answer and move on. So, now, as I try to just send a simple reply to someone using my email, I find that my reply is being written  on a dialogue box with absolutely no "send" button. If someone out there knows how to help me out of this quandary, please write to me with suggestions.

I know some of you good friends have worried about Kathy and me coming to Oaxaca because of all the news in the medea with warnings serious enough to be reasonably considered. We are happy to report that we are having a most interesting time here. Yes, there are demonstrations, mostly having to do with upcoming elections and we have been warned to stay some distance from them and not to photograph them. Seems like good advice. But Kathy and I hadn't heard a word of that before we both had taken pictures of several of the marches and demos taking place on prominent roadways. Otherwise, the Zocalo seems to have returned to being a very pleasant place and while trying to get from one place to another we crossed right through one of the long marches with all those we passed allowing us to make our way across the street. Inocense is bliss. We're loving Oaxaca and feel very safe here. Just like any other place we know, there are certain areas or locations you just don't go to. But that has always been the case. So please know we're having a great time.

Fun in Oaxaca

Introducing Kathy to "Arabia" Restaurant

Kathy and I arrived in Mexico Monday night after reasonably uneventful flights to Houston and then on to Oaxaca with one of those very rapid landings that came to a halt just when you'd have thought it couldn't. So all was well and I could breath again. The plane from Houston is not that big, so it should have been a quick journey into the main hall through customs and immigration. But somehow it wasn't, which isn't all that unusual either. By the time the collectivo delivered us to Hotel Las Mariposas, it was almost ten in the evening.  We were greeted enthusiastically and delivered to our tiny, tiny little room which, after various reservation snafus last year for this visit, I had agreed to. 

Turns out, it was really small and one climbed up to it by way of a corner stone staircase. Our suitcases just barely fit into the room at that moment and I have to admit to a slightly depressed feeling about the way I was introducing my darling daughter to Oaxaca for the first time. But, after we emptied our suitcases into a large armior, and tucked one of them behind a chair and the other up to the top of the armoir, I began to think it could work. Mind you, this is a wonderful hotel with some really nice sized and creatively designed rooms, but this little one was a bit outside the norm here. It has several little eccentricities that I will refrain from describing and we'll leave it at that. The next morning we opened the door which gave us a charming view out to  one of the many garden courtyards and I suddenly realized that all I cared about was being here and from that moment on, I was at peace with that precious little habitat. 

Kathy and I took care of banking, signing up at the Institute for three weeks of Spanish classes and walked to "Arabia," one of my favorite neighborhood eateries. Of course I had to introduce Kath to their succulent baguette with smoked salmon and a salad laced with citrus. We have to admit to succumbing to a cold mocha drink for dessert (see above) and proceeded to walk past the botanical gardens and up to Acala, the colorful walking street. There we fell in love with some hand made costume jewelry made by a group of gypsy craftsmen who sell their wares under canvas awnings and welcome you graciously to their booths, totally without pressuring you. They don't need to because they do such intriguing work. I bought "spider earrings" made of stainless steel and a few stones and walked away happily wearing them and feeling like I had truly returned to Oaxaca.

We expected to stay in the "tiny, tiny" room until February 19 when we will move into "my room," number 10. But by the second day, the lovely desk clerk arrived at our door to tell us that, due to a cancellation, we could move to another room if we cared to look at it. We did, and said yes of course. Then, during the evening of that day, the same lovely clerk appeared at the door of friends we were visiting with and quietly informed me that she had an even better place for us to settle into until our move to  number 10. So we are now happily enjoying a studio with kitchen and living area. It seems that this has been one of those times when it pays to just settle in and not complain while it  keeps getting better and better.  

We spent the early evening having a fiesta with friends from Teotitlan del Valle in our front courtyard. One by one Kathy is getting acquainted with friends here who are so dear to me. They've all welcomed her warmly and I think she's beginning to understand my love for this special place.